Chapter 784 - 357: The Family’s Great Secret (10,000-Word Mega - , Setting Sail Soon!) (Part 4)

Chapter 784: Chapter 357: The Family’s Great Secret (10,000-Word Mega Chapter, Setting Sail Soon!) (Part 4)

Meanwhile, Riven and Kira were sitting on the sofa, with Kira enthusiastically showing something on her phone to Riven, their laughter ringing out like clear chimes.

"Look! Riven! This blogger is hilarious, he actually wants to use a children’s surfboard to challenge a great white shark!"

This laughter, pure and untainted, sounded to Lin Yu’an’s ears with a backdrop that tugged at his heartstrings.

He looked at Kira’s face, almost identical to the one in the photo, and his gaze lingered for a few more seconds than usual, a subtle change immediately caught by the perceptive Riven.

She lifted her head, a hint of inquiry in her blue eyes, staring straight at Lin Yu’an, then glanced at Elizabeth behind him with her usual expression, as if trying to discern something from their faces.

"It’s getting late," Lin Yu’an broke the silence voluntarily, stepping in front of the sofa and smiling at Kira and Riven, "I should take my leave. Thank you again for your generous hospitality tonight."

"Leaving already?" Kira seemed a bit reluctant, "Lin, when are you going out to sea tomorrow? Oh, I almost forgot, Riven is going too, so I can go to the pier with her to see you off!"

"Don’t be silly, Kira," Mike turned away from the window, speaking in a steady voice, "We have our own sailing plans, let’s not disturb them."

"Oh..." Kira stuck out her tongue.

Lin Yu’an bade farewell to everyone one by one. When shaking hands with Sean, the enthusiastic old man gripped his hand tightly, giving him a complex look, conveying numerous unsaid words.

When saying goodbye to Elizabeth, she merely nodded gracefully, "Take care on your way, Lin. I’ll leave the supply of steaks to you."

The word "steak" seemed to be a tacit code between them.

"I’ll see you out." Riven stood up.

Walking on the stone path leading to the garage, the night breeze was cooler than by the sea. They said nothing along the way, yet the atmosphere was heavier than it had been on the beach.

"Let’s take a walk by the sea." She said softly, as if requesting, yet it also sounded like a command.

Lin Yu’an saw the question in her eyes, nodded, and followed along.

They stepped onto the moonlit beach, now devoid of the tipsy lightness from before dinner; the air was filled with an unspoken tension.

The waves tirelessly washed over the coast, their rhythmic "swoosh" akin to a heavy heart beating, striking at their nerves.

They walked side by side for a long distance without either breaking the silence first.

Riven was waiting, waiting for Lin Yu’an to proactively explain. Meanwhile, Lin Yu’an was organizing his words, pondering how to remain true to his promise while offering her the minimum sincerity.

Ultimately, it was Riven who ran out of patience first. She stopped, turning around, the sea breeze swaying her long hair across her gracefully contoured cheeks.

"What did my grandmother tell you?" she asked directly, her voice drifting in the sea breeze, yet her gaze was resolute.

"Something must have happened in the study. Don’t try to brush me off with tales of ’chatting about tea leaves.’"

He couldn’t reveal the truth about Kira, as that was his promise to Elizabeth, but he equally didn’t want to lie to her.

"She told me a story about the family," he opted for a vague answer, "a story...about love and protection. It was heavy, yet remarkably profound."

This answer obviously didn’t satisfy Riven’s curiosity, the mystery seemed only to deepen.

But she could read from Lin Yu’an’s solemn expression that this story was something he wouldn’t reveal further.

She was not someone who would make unreasonable demands or pursue matters to the end. Since it was a secret he chose to guard, she stopped asking.

"Alright," she nodded as if accepting this explanation.

Then she shifted the topic, stepping slightly closer, close enough to see the moonlight reflected in his deep eyes.

Her tone carried a hint of unnoticeable probing, as if she were extending her toes over the precipice, testing the depthless mist.

"Since my grandmother’s story is about protection," she affirmed Lin Yu’an’s interpretation before shifting her tone, a sly curve playing at her lips.

"Then...what about your story? I just learned today that my favorite steak is from your business, does that mean I’m your super VIP customer?"

She blinked, her blue eyes gleaming like two translucent gems under the moonlight, with a dash of playfulness and righteousness.

"As your loyal customer, do I have the right to know a bit about Farmer’s...family situation?"

"For instance, why did you decide to raise cattle in Montana? Is it...very cold there?"

Her questioning was clever, starting with the concrete entity of steak, leading to the farmer, then naturally transitioning to family and Montana.

Every question was like carefully peeling a layer of onion, hoping to see the core, yet fearing the sting of its juice to the eyes.

What she wanted to know was certainly not the weather in Montana.

The sea breeze seemed to pause at that moment. Lin Yu’an looked at her seemingly nonchalant yet deeply expectant and nervous eyes, sighing softly in his heart.

He understood that all her groundwork ultimately pointed to that core question. To continue dancing around it would be irresponsibly cruel.

He did not evade, nor did he follow the lead to discuss the farm, but instead stood straight, with unprecedented candor, facing her scrutiny.